The George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN) has sued the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and other parties in a bid to halt the planned payment of $396.6 million to Senator Ned Nwoko and his firm, Linas International Limited, over the controversial Paris and London Club refunds.
The civil society group, in an originating summons filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, described the planned disbursement as “unlawful, unjustified and a violation of due process.”
Also listed as defendants in the suit are the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the Minister of Finance, and the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
According to GUWN, the payment was premised on a July 5, 2018 letter from a former Minister of Finance and subsequent approvals allegedly obtained in 2024.
The group argued that both Nwoko and his company had in 2018 accepted $350 million as “full and final settlement” under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, thereby foreclosing fresh demands.
The whistleblowers therefore asked the court to declare that Nwoko and Linas were not entitled to the $396.6 million, which the AGF had in a November 25, 2024 letter recommended to President Bola Tinubu for approval.
They also want the court to nullify a “no objection” letter issued by the NGF in July 2024, insisting it was wrongfully used to back the payout.
Among the six reliefs sought, GUWN prayed the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the Federal Government or any of its officials from making the payment “under any guise.”
The group further urged the court to rescind both the AGF’s November 25, 2024 memo to President Tinubu and the NGF’s July 2, 2024 clearance letter, describing them as “null, void, and of no effect.”
In addition, GUWN is asking the court to compel the Federal Government to pay it $19.83 million—representing five per cent of the disputed sum—as whistleblower reward under Nigeria’s whistleblower policy.
The AGF had in his memo to the president defended the payment, citing multiple judgments in favour of Nwoko and Linas, as well as EFCC investigation reports between 2018 and 2024, which, according to him, affirmed that Linas was the only genuine consultant engaged by states and local governments in the refund process.
He also pointed out that the NGF had executed a settlement agreement with Nwoko and Linas, agreeing to withdraw pending cases against them.
The Paris Club refund controversy has dragged on for over a decade, repeatedly sparking disputes between consultants, governors, and the federal government. In 2021 and 2022, former President Buhari had halted similar payments following objections from governors and some cabinet members.
GUWN maintained that the latest move to pay Nwoko amounted to reprocessing “fraudulent claims,” vowing to block the payout through legal means.
The case is yet to be assigned to a judge, while the defendants have 30 days from the date of service to file their appearance.
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